The present invention relates to a system, method and apparatus for maintaining security, and more particularly for maintaining security in an environment such as a building facility where there is a security-sensitive area with security-sensitive objects or items. The system is designed to respond to security risk occurrences, such as a possible covert entry, movement of components of the building facility and/or theft and/or movement of security-sensitive items or objects.
A significant challenge in both government and industry is maintaining security in security-sensitive areas, such as in a building facility, where various items and objects and/or items of value are present. In order to maintain such security, it is quite common for security people to go through the security-sensitive areas to look for situations, items or evidence of a potential security risk. In some instances, the security people would be looking for any evidence of an unauthorized entry into the secured area. In other instances, the security people would find security-sensitive items left out in the open, instead of being locked in a secured location, such as a safe, vault or file cabinets.
By way of example, in many building facilities there are security-sensitive areas where the surrounding walls are not true floor to ceiling walls, but extend only partially toward the true ceiling. Then there is a false ceiling made up of ceiling tiles which are supported by metal support member (beams) that extend in a horizontal grid-like pattern over the ceiling area at a location spaced downwardly from the true ceiling. In these instances, it is a common practice to use, for example, tile clips that are installed in the ceiling system. When any of these ceiling tile clips are disturbed visual inspection will indicate that this disturbance has occurred, thus indicating the possibility of a covert intrusion. Both the installation of the ceiling clips and the regular visual inspection are costly.
There are other situations where components or objects that are part of the building structure or building facility could be tampered with in some way, such as being moved from their normal location. This could occur where there is a theft of various items or objects which are security-sensitive. Some of these objects or items themselves contain security-sensitive information or are of sufficient value so as to be security-sensitive. Other objects are containers (even large containers) that have security-sensitive items therein.
The system, method and apparatus of the present invention is designed to provide an effective means of alleviating as much as possible such security risks.
The method of the present invention is arranged to reduce security risks in or adjacent to a building facility where there are in, or proximate to, the building facility components which comprise one or more of the following:
a) building component(s) which are part of, or associated with, a building of the building facility;
b) facility component(s) which are in or adjacent to the building and relate to functions or occupancy of the building facility;
c) other component(s) which are in or adjacent to the building facility that are not included in building components or facility components.
Each of these components are further categorized as follows:
a) security-sensitive components which comprise:
i. component(s) which themselves are security-sensitive (i.e. because of having or containing security-sensitive information or items or components which are of sufficient value to be security-sensitive);
ii. component(s) which are of a nature that if moved or otherwise tampered with in some manner such tampering may indicate a security risk;
iii. components which are both themselves security-sensitive and also are of a nature that if moved or otherwise tampered with in some manner such tampering may indicate a security risk;
b) non-security-sensitive component(s), which include the items or components which are not security-sensitive.
The method of the present invention comprises providing at least one tamper-indicating device which in turn comprises a tamper-responsive section which comprises at least one tamper-responsive portion which has an intact condition and a non-intact condition. In a preferred form of the present invention, this tamper-responsive portion has an electrically conductive portion which in the intact position is able to conduct electricity between first and second tamper related locations, and in the non-intact position is not able to conduct electricity between the first and second tamper related locations.
Also, the tamper-indicating device comprises a signaling section that is operatively connected to the tamper-responsive section in a manner to:
a) provide a signal indicating at least one of;
i. a non-intact condition;
ii. an intact condition; or
b) not provide a signal in response to an interrogating signal to indicate:
i. a non-intact condition; or
ii. an intact condition
The tamper-indicating device is placed in a security risk detecting position by operatively engaging the tamper-indicating device to two of said components, at least one of which is a security-sensitive component. The two components are characterized in that relative movements between the two components indicates a possibility of a security risk occurrence. The tamper-indicating device is arranged and connected to the two components so that relative movement between the two components causes a break or damage to the tamper-responsive section to cause the tamper-responsive section to go to its non-intact condition.
Then a signal receiving device is operated to ascertain either a reception of a signal or a lack of reception of a signal from the tamper-indicating device to ascertain the possible security risk occurrence. In some embodiments of the present invention, the tamper-indicating device transmits its tamper-indicating signal in response to the tamper-responsive section going to its non-intact condition. The tamper-indicating device has a sleep mode which exists so long as the tamper-responsive section is in its intact position. The tamper-indicating device is caused to go from the sleep mode to an active mode upon occurrence of the tamper-responsive section going to its non-intact condition to in turn to cause the tamper-signaling section to transmit the tamper-indicating signal. In the preferred embodiment the electrically conductive portion in the intact position causes the tamper-indicating device to remain in its sleep mode and in the non-intact position causes the tamper-indicating device to go to its active mode.
In a preferred form, the electrically conductive portion is operatively connected to circuitry of the tamper-signaling section in a manner that with the electrically conductive portion in its intact position, an input to a micro-controller of said tamper-signaling section is at a first voltage level. Then with the electrically conductive portion in its non-intact position, the input to the micro-controller is at another voltage level, with the change from the first voltage level causes the micro-controller to place the tamper-signaling section into its active mode.
In another embodiment of the present invention, interrogating signals are transmitted to the tamper-indicating device, and the tamper-indicating device modulates the signal in response to the interrogating signal so that a modulated response is transmitted when there is an intact condition of the tamper-responsive section. When a non-intact condition exists, the modulated signal is not transmitted, thus indicating a possibility of a security risk.
Also in a preferred embodiment, the tamper-indicating device with the tamper-responsive section in its intact position is energized by an interrogating signal to provide a modulated response. With the tamper-responsive section in its non-intact position, the tamper-responsive device does not send the modulated response. In a specific form, the electrically conductive portion of the tamper-indicating device is operatively connected into circuitry of the tamper-signaling section so that when the tamper-signaling section is conductive, energizing current from the interrogating signal is able to cause the modulated response to the interrogating signal.
In a preferred form of the present invention the tamper-signaling section comprises operating components which are positioned within a housing of the tamper-signaling section. The operating components are responsive to the tamper-responsive section to produce the tamper-indicating signal. The tamper-responsive section comprises a plurality of tamper-responsive portions which are operatively connected to the tamper-signaling section in a manner that the signal transmitting section responds to any one of these tamper-responsive portions being in its intact or non-intact condition.
In a specific application of the present invention, a first connecting portion of the tamper-indicating device is connected to one of the two components, and a second connecting portion of the tamper-indicating device is connected to the other of the two components, with a tamper-responsive region of the tamper-responsive section being between the connecting portions in a manner that relative movement of the two components causes the tamper-responsive region to become severed or damaged to make the electrically conductive portion become non-conductive.
In one arrangement the two components having facing surfaces adjacent to one another, and the tamper-indicating device is positioned between the two facing surfaces. The first connecting portion of the tamper-indicating device is connected to one of the two components and the second connecting portion is connected to the other of the components in a manner that relative movement of the two components moves the two facing surfaces apart to cause a break or damage to the electrically conductive portion.
In another arrangement, there is a plurality of these tamper-indicating devices positioned between the two facing surfaces and connected to the facing surfaces, and the tamper-indicating devices are arranged so as to be positioned inwardly from surrounding edge portions of the surfaces so that relative rotational movement of the components to rotate the facing surfaces away from one another causes at least one of the tamper-indicating devices to go to its non-intact position. In another arrangement the first and second connecting portions of the tamper-indicating device are located on the tamper-responsive section, and the tamper-responsive section is connected to surface of the two components which are in general alignment with one another and spaced from one another.
Other features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description.